During the regular season, the Jets went through a stretch of close games, finding ways to win them late. Since the opponents weren’t postseason contenders, the relevance of the outcomes to the playoffs was debatable.
But while winning a close game against a non-playoff team is no guarantee that the Jets will be able to keep it close against a playoff team, the experience of playing close games comes in handy.
As Bob Glauber of Newsday explained it last Sunday, multiple Jets players said so after a win over the Colts, which came after the Colts seemed to ice the game late.
Today, the Jets are trying to hold off the Patriots, leading 14-3 late in the third quarter. Even if the Patriots can tie it up or take the lead, the Jets’ past experiences in these situations could help them tremendously down the stretch.
UPDATE: It’s now 14-11.